"When I have money, I buy books. If any is left, I buy food and clothes." -- Erasmus

Monday, November 06, 2006

I've Become One of Them

I've become one of those people I always admired -- those who can read two books at the same time. Not simultaneously, of course (that would be COOL!). Race and Reunion is one of those books that can be a little challenging. It's highly educational and makes a whole lot of things in American history more clear when you understand how Americans tried to deal with the horrible carnage of the Civil War -- but it can seem a little bit like work trying to get through it.

I find that after reading a chapter or so, my mind starts to drift a bit. It's not the topic or the author; Blight is a well-respected historian whose style only occasionally gets a little too academic for me. I hate to admit it, but I think it's a function of getting older. My concentration just doesn't seem what it used to be.

So last night, after I finished a chapter in Race and Reunion, I picked up The Moonstone again. I hate not finishing a book I've started, and was more than halfway through this when I put it down. And it's just the right style to read before I'm ready for bed.